Flushing and heating system.



J. B. MORGAN.

PLUSHING AND HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 001a, 1909.

Patentd Nov 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

will 26 fnucv 1607 J. B. MORGAN.

PLUSHING AND HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 8, 1909. a

; 976,484. Patented Nov. 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Joniv 1B. MORGAN, or noonnsrna, new YORK.

FLUSHING- AND HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ngv, 22, 191() Applicationfiled October 8, 1909. Serial No. 521,699.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JOHN B. MORGAN, a citizen of the United State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flushing and HeatingSystems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved vacuum steam heatingand flushingsystem in which low pressure exhaust steam supply comes from an overheadmain supply pipe and high pressure live steam for flushing the systemcomes from the boiler.

One object of my invention is to provide in a system of the characterset forth means whereby the system may be connected at will to a sourceof live steam under pressure and to provide a spring-actuated valve or aseries of spring-actuated valves yielding to a steam ressure greaterthan the tension of the spring that actuates said valve, permitting thewhole system to be flushed out to remove the oil, scale and oil depositsaccruing from the cylinder oil of the engine, or corrosion andother'foreign substances from the pipes, radiators and valves, withoutit being necessary to incur the usual maintenance expense of havingemployees go constantly into difi'erent apartments or ofiices of abuilding to remove the dirt or scale from the pipes, radiators andvalves, allas will be hereinafter more fully set forth in the specificdescription of my improved vacuum steam heating and flushing system.

Sometimes it is desirable to have in one of the radiators a lower degreeof heat than wouldbe supplied by steam and it is a further obj ect-of myinvention to provide means whereby the condensation of the steam in aprimary radiator may be caused to pass through a secondary radiator andthence to the return riser and suction pipe so that the secondaryradiator may be heated by hot water instead of steam, this object beingat tained by providing in addition to the supply pipeconnected to thevalve controlled inlets of the primary and secondary radiators a pipeforming a communication between the outlet of the primary radiator andthe inlet of the secondary radiator, a valve controlling suchcommunication, and a second valve in the return riser between theoutlets of the primary and secondary radiators. Whensthe latter valve isclosed, the former one opened, and the steam inlet valve of the States,residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and secondary radiator isclosed, the condensation from the primary radiator passes into thesecondary radiator and thence into the return riser, while if the secondvalve be opened, the first valve closed, and the steam inlet valve ofthe secondary radiator is opened, both radiators may receive theirsupply of steam from the supply pipe and will discharge theircondensation into the return riser from whence it passes into thesuction pipe.

My invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts setforth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in theclaims thereof.

- Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation takenthrough two floors of a building illustrating my improved steam heatingsystem, certain parts ing broken away to save space in the drawings.Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a vacuum pump, regulator and connectionsto said steam heating system. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of theregulating valve.

In the drawings, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are radiators of suitable construction,either in the form of tubes or sections and in this connection it willbe understood that the word radiator is used throughout thespecification and in the claims in the sense of any fixture which willcontain steam and diffuse heat by reason thereof. The radiators 5 and 7are in series, one over the other, and although only two are shown ineach of the series, the number of radiators may be indefinitely extendedaccording to the number of floors in the building and this is true alsoof the radiators 6 and 8 and the series to which they belong.

The steam supply, as shown in Fig. 1, enters the system throu supplypipe 9, although self to this specific construction. From this pipe asteam supply riser 10 extends downwardly and is connected to the inlet11 of the radiator 5 by connections 12, a suitable valve 13 adapted tobe operated by hand being interposed in these nnections 12, for thepurpose of admitting or shutting off the steam from the radiator 5. Thesteam is also adapted to be supplied to or shut off from the radiators6, 7 and 8 in a similarmanner.

Steam passes into the radiator 5 which is connected at its outlet 14 byconnections 15 .to the return riser l6 and interposed in theseconnections 15 is a spring-actuated regu,

'11 an overhead steam I do not limit mylating valve 17 of any suitableconstruction, but preferably of the construction shown n Fig. 3 andillustrated and described in United States Letters Patent, No. 940,182,dated November 16, 1909.

The radiator 7 is connected to the return riser 16 by suitableconnections 18 in which is interposed another spring-actuated regulatingvalve 19 like the valve 17. The radiators 6 and 8 are connected bysuitable connections 20 and 21, respectively, to the return riser 22 andin said connections are inserted spring-actuated regulating valves 23and 24, respectively, said valves being the same as the valves 17 and19. Beneath the lowermost radiators 7 and 8, near the bottom of thereturn risers 16 and 22, are placed in said return risers the controllervalves 26 and 27, respectively.

The return risers 16 and 22 are connected to the main suction pipe 28and the drip to the steam supply riser 10 is also connected to saidsuction pipe, preferably by a water seal shown by a pipe 29 formed in adouble U or return bend, although I do not limit myself to this specificconstruction. The form shown constitutes a trap or sealinto which thecondensed steam enters from the steam supply, and in this pipe 29 the sringactuated regulating valve 30 is intro need. The object of this sealand valve is to pre vent sudden and heavy discharges of condensed steaminto the vacuum pipe 28. The valve 30 prevents any such sudden deliveryof condensed Water into the vacuum pipe and thence into the suctionpump, which would occur without such a valve, and when water is thusdelivered in large quantities suddenly to the suction pipe it interfereswith the proper operation of the vacuum pump and hence necessarily withthe proper circulation of the steam throughout the system. By using thespring-actuated regulating valve 30 in this particular location,however, such interference with the proper operation of the suction pumpand of the vacuum system throughout, is eliminated.

The return risers 16 and 22 are connected to the inlet of the radiator7by a ipe 32 and branch pipes 31 and 33. pringactuated regulating valves34 and 35 are provided in pipes 31 and 33, respectively, and suitablevalves 36 and 37 ada ted to be operated by hand are interpose in thereturn risers 16 and 22, respectively, all for a purpose hereinafter setforth.

A vacuum of preferably -ten inches is maintained in the suction pi e 28by a suitable vacuum pump 38, receiving its steam supply through asteamsupply pipe 40 having in its length a manual y operated valve 41 bywhich the steam supply to said ump may be shut off. The operation 0 thissum is automatically governed by a usual iap ragm operator 47controlling a valve 48 in the pipe 40, said regulator being connected bya pipe 49 to the suction pipe 28 and operating in the usual and wellknown manner to automatically govern the pump 38 so as to maintain asubstantially constant vacuum in the suction pipe 28. Exhaust steam issupplied to the pipe 9 through the pipe 43 and pipe 43 and low pressuresteam may be supplied to said pipe 9 through the in-take low pressurepipe 9. Live'steam from the boiler may be admitted to the system throughthe high pressure pipe 43 in which is located a valve 39. A valve 44 issupplied in the suction pipe 28. A waste or flush-out pipe 46 leads outof said suction pipe 28 and is supplied with a valve 45, so that byclosing the valve 44, opening the valve 39 and opening the valve 45 thepipes of this system may be filled with a pressure of live steam, andthe cylinder oil, rust, dirt and any other impediments to circulationwhich are constantly forming in' all portions of the steam supply systemmay be blown out through the waste or flush-out pipe 46 by the livesteam pressure, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The general operation of my improved vacuum steam heating system is asfollows: Assuming the pump 38 to produce in the suction plpe 28 a vacuumof about ten inches, the controller valves 26 and 27 are so regulated asto the tension of their respective springs that the vacuum above them inthe return risers 16 and 22 will be approximately two inches. The steampasses from the main supply pipe 9 into the steam supply riser 10 andthence downward through the connections to the different radiators 5, 6,7 and 8. When the steam condenses in a radiator, for instance in theradiator 7, and a certain amount of water gathers in said radiator, itwill ass out of said radiator opening the spring-actuated valve 19against the action of its spring by the difference in pressure on thetwo sides of it and enter the return riser 16.

When the water enters the return riser 16 approximately at a temperatureof 212, it will become partially vaporized, due to a lower pressure, andafter condensing will pass with the unvaporized water at a lowertemperature into the suction pipe 28 and outwardly through the pump 38.The same action occurs in relation to theother radiators 5, 6 and 8through their respective connections and spring-actuated valves to thereturn risers. The water of condensation will also pass from the steamriser 10 through the double U loop or seal 29 and its controller valve30 into the suction pipe. Thus the valves 26, 27 and 30 control thedelivery of the condensed water to the suction pipe and deliver it tosaid suction pipe at a lower temperature than would be the case if thewater which condenses in the connections from the radiators to therisers radiators and in the steam supply riser were to be delivereddirectly from said risers to the suction pipe 28, with the result thatas this water of condensation is delivered to the the temperature of thewater in the suction pipe before itarrives at the suction pump.

If it is desired to have a lower degree of heat in the radiator 7 thanwould be supplied by steam,the valves 36 and 37 may be closed and thecondensation of the steam from the radiators 5 and 6 will thenpassthrough the pipes 31 and 33 downwardly through the pipe 32 into theradiator 7, and thus said radlator will be heated by hot water insteadof by steam.

When it is desired to blow outand clean out the entire system, the handvalve 39 is opened, admitting live steam pressure, the valve 44 isclosed and the valve 45 is next opened, thus cutting off the suctionpump from the suction pipe and openin said suction pipe 28 into thewaste or flus -out pipe 46. Thus all the spring-actuated valves areautomatically opened to the full capacity of the respective pipes inwhichthey are located by a steam pressure greater than the resistance ofthe springs of said springactuated valves, thus forcing all impedimentsto circulation from said pipes and radiators out through said difierentvalve and through the spring-actuated regulating valves 17, 19, .23 and24 and through the controller valves 26 and 27, all of said springregulating valves and controller valves having been blown wide openagainst the tension of the springs thereon, and emptying all of saiddirt and foreign mat ter into the suction pipe from whence it isdischarged into the waste pipe 46. When the system has thus beenthoroughly cleaned out, the valves 39v and 45 are closed, the valve 44is opened, and the apparatus is then in condition for the vacuum heatingsystem to operate as before. It will be seen that if in this flushingout operation the valves 36 and 37 are closed, the waste, dirt, water,etc. will ass through the pipes 31, 33 and 32 and t rough the radiator 7and outwardly therefrom in" the manner hereinbefore described, and underthese conditions the 31, 33 and 32 will constitute flush-out p1 es. Alsoit will be noted that whether the va ves 36 and 37 are closed or opened,this flushing out or cleaning operation will take place without itsbelng necessary for any one to changeany of the valves in the systemother than thevalves 39 and 44 and 45, so that it pipes will not benecessary for the engineer or workman to ofiices prelimmary to andsubsequently to the flushing-out operation in order to change the valvestherein to blow off the system. Said controller also acts as anequalizing valve in distributing the pressure of steam evenly over thebu lding when the system is being blown ofi' and the dirt and pipescales being blown therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to Secure 1s:

go to different apartments or 1. A vacuum steam heating system liaving,in combination, a steam supply pipe, a return pipe for the air and waterof condensation, a radiator havin an inlet communicating with said suppypipe and an outlet communicating with said return pipe, :1 flush-outpipe communicating with said return pipe, a valve controlling thecommunicatlon between said return pipe and said flush-out pipe, meansconnected to said return pipe to produce a vacuum therein, a valvecontrolling the communication between said return pipe and said vacuumcreatingmeans, means for controlling the communication between saidreturn pipe and said radiator and acting to automatically control thedifierence of pressure therebetween, a pressure pipe communicating withsaid radiator, and a valve controlling the communication between saidpressure pipe and said radiator.

2. A steam heating system having, in combination, a steam supply pipe,'a return pipe for the air and water of condensation, a primary radiatorcommunicating with said supply pipe, a secondary radiator communicatingwith said suppl pipe, a return riser communicating with t e outletsofboth of said radiators and with said return pipe, a

valve in said return riser between said outlets, a valve interposed inthe connection between said supply pipe and said secondary radiator, apipe formlng a communication between the outlet of said primary radiatorand the inlet of said secondary radiator, a valve .controlling suchcommunication between the outlet of said primary radiator and the inletof said secondary radiator, and a regulating valve acting toautomatically control the flow from the outlet of said secondaryradiator to said return pipe.

radiators and said return riser and a spring-'- actuated regulatingvalve located in said return riser between said radiator and saidsuction pipe, an intake pressure pipe opening into said steam supplypipe, a valve therefor, a flush-out pipe connected to said heatin systemat the lower end thereof, and a han valve adapted to close saidflush-out pipe located ben'eath said main suction return Xipe. y v

4. vacuum steam heating system having, in combination, two radiators, amain steam supply pipe connected to the inlet of each of sald radiators,a suction pipe, means for producing a vacuum in said suction pipe,

' a return riser connected to said suction pipe,

connections from said return riser to the outlet of each of saidvradiators, a springactuated regulating valve interposed in each of saidconnections, a spring-actuated "regu- 'lating valve in said return riserbetween said radiators and said'suction pipe, an intake pressure pipeentering the main steam supply pipe a valve therefor, a flush-out pipeconnected heating system, and a valve for said flushout pipe,substantially. as described for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have "hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

JosErHUs ALBEE, A. FRANK WARREN.

to and leading out of said

